Dragoon Tales: The New Legend
by M0nk3ysRUs
Summary: A crossover fic between the Legend of Dragoon video game and Sailor Moon. Rei/Usagi take center roles as the starcrossed lovers, but the ancient legend of dragoons will never be the same again...BEEN ON HIATUS SINCE FOREVER. WILL BE REVAMPED.
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Sailor Moon nor do I own the Legend of Dragoon. Well, I own the game, just not the copyrights or any of that legal stuff. They belong to Naoko Takuechi and Sony, respectively.

I've always wanted to write a crossover fic with Sailor Moon and Legend of Dragoon. Somehow the main character in LoD reminds me of Rei, so yea...Anyway, this is a first fic for me, so constructive criticism would be nice. Flamers, well, I really don't care for, so don't flame me; I'll just delete them. Anyway, shoujoai warning, so no likey, no read-ey.

Any questions or whatnot you can email me at

Prologue: Mysteries

The town of Seles burned with bright, glaring flames as soldiers stampeded across the town, stopping near a rally of troops. One soldier takes the reigns of a large, charcoal horse and another aids their Commander off the beast.

The soldier addressed the man, "Rubius, sir, this way."

The soldier gestures behind him toward a large slab of stone with a sleeping girl on top and leads him to it.

"So, this is her..." the red-haired warrior murmured to himself as he approaches the carve stone slab.

The girl was young, he had to admit, and very pretty. Milk colored skin covered in a tight scouting clothes, hair pulled into two strange buns arranged at the top of her head. He pulls out a glowing orb and holds it over her forehead. A light shoots down from the moon and envelops them, but disappears as quickly as it had appeared, its silvery strands lingering in the air for mere fractions of a second as they are pulled into the body of the girl.

"Hmm, indeed. Put her into custody." Interesting, he thinks to himself. This girl...

Commander Rubius walks away as he pockets the orb, leaving the soldiers to take care of the girl; a shadowy cloaked figure appears beside him.

"Is this really necessary?" Rubius hesitatingly asks. She was only a girl, perhaps not past her 18th summer.

"It is his Majesty, Emperor Diamond's, wish that the girl be taken into custody." replied the stranger, his sharp green eyes glinting as he glances over at the girl. Instinctively his hand reaches over to caress her innocent face.

"Who is she?"

The Cloaked Figure stops for a brief moment.

"That...is not your concern." His eyes turned cold as he walks away swiftly, royal blue robes swirling behind him, and the bright haired commander was left to ponder; the night drags onward as the fires continue to consume the village, and he gestures to the troops as they ride off into the night. The unconscious young girl lay splayed across a stone slab, her pale skin whitened by the waning light of the legendary Moon That Never Sets.

A mysterious woman with long dark hair and black armor stands on a rock ledge overlooking a large and dense forest below; the forest grows quiet; suddenly the trees shake as birds fly from that area and a large

roar is heard from the forest as a green head and upper body emerge.

"The Green Tusked Dragon, Feyrbrand." she whispers, her voice faint from shock. The woman nimbly hops down the rocky cliff side near the big forest, going from rock to rock to reach the

bottom.


	2. Chapter 2

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Sailor Moon nor do I own the Legend of Dragoon. Well, I own the game, just not the copyrights or any of that legal stuff. They belong to Naoko Takuechi and Sony, respectively.

I've always wanted to write a crossover fic with Sailor Moon and Legend of Dragoon. Somehow the main character in LoD reminds me of Rei, so yea...Anyway, this is a first fic for me, so constructive criticism would be nice. Anyway, shoujoai warning, so if you don't like or are offended by the material, don't read it.

Any questions or whatnot you can email me at

Chapter 1: Rescue

A young, dark haired woman wearing bright red armor sits atop a tree stump, her feet scuffling the dirt as she scans a war bulletin. Her long black hair flutters in the wind, and, if observed closely, seems to reflect waves of purple light as the sun shines on it. At her side hangs two long, curved swords; one was remniscent of an elongated scimitar while the other was shorter, much more dagger-like. Her red armor looks worn and dirtied from weeks of traveling, and a disgruntled look marrs her exotic features as she reviews the piece of paper held in one hand.

'Hmm, Chance of war more likely.' the woman reads to herself. She sighs a stuffs the note into a ratty looking bag on the ground next the the tree stump.

"I hope it's just a rumor."

Suddenly the forest grows quiet and birds stop chirping; the sound of hoofbeats become more evident as the young woman gathers up her belongings.

Many soldiers ride past the young woman's hiding place on horses, going up the trail and away from her; the young woman waits until the last one has gone by before emerging and standing on the broad path.

"Wow, that was close," she muttered darkly. She swung her bag onto her back and began to head down the path when two straggling horses taking up the rear nearly ran her over, two angry soldiers riding them. It was obvious by their dark blue uniform which warring country they were from.

'Sandorians, great,' the girl thought as she cursed her fate. 'Ugly ones too. Why am I not surprised?'

"Who are you? Are you a mercenary of Basil?"

The Sandorian soldier pulls out his spear and thrusts it at the girl.

"Answer!" the second soldier commands.

"No, merely a traveler. Now, please move aside. I must be on my way," was the curt reply. The soldiers, surprised by her rudeness, begin to sneer.

"Traveler eh? Whatsa traveler like you doin' carryin' a sword like that?" the first soldier prods. The two look at each other for a second before the other one dismounts and begins poking at her bag with his sword. This angered the young woman, who instinctively took a step back, a ready hand on the winged hilt of her long sword.

"What are you doing?"

"Are you drawing a sword against us?"

Before the young woman can react, a large roar is heard from nearby and a large tree comes crashing down behind her. The first soldier, shocked by the defeaning roar, falls from his horse. He looked his companion and they both scrambled back on their horses, swiftly riding off as the noise came nearer. Suddenly, a large creature leaps toward her, its large, clawed limbs slashing wildly. The young woman bats away a few swings from the clawed arms before giving up and deciding to run for it.

'This is not my lucky day,' she thought to herself, turning her head around to catch a glimpse of the dragon. It was closing in.

'I have to do something or I'll be killed!'

She barely avoids a swing, ducking and rolling just in time, then runs into a stream as another tree is felled by the beast. The raven haired woman then crosses a stream and ducks as the

claws fly by, severing a large tree directly in front of her. She climbs over the trunk and takes a breath.

"What a monster! Jeez, what crawled up his ass and died?"

She hears it roar in pleasure as massive claws dig into the trunk behind her.

"Shit!" the woman yells and she starts running again as the beast steps over and crushes the large tree trunk to pieces.

A dark blur catches her violet eyes as a young woman with black hair leaps from behind a bush to the right and grabs her, pulling her to safety behind a large boulder off the path.

"Who are you?" the surprised girl asks. 'Why are you helping me?' she mentally adds, but decides against it.

"Shh! If you don't want to die, then be quiet," the woman whispers. The creature bashes the rock wall opposite the large boulder they are hiding behind. It looks around for a moment, then stomps off.

A raven head popped up from behind the rock. 'It's gone, thank the gods.' She eyed the stranger next to her suspiciously. The person before her looked nothing like a Sandorian or a Basilian soldier. Her long black hair, tied up in a small bun at the top of her head, were flecked with green as the sun shone on its cascading waves. She wore dark violet armor trimmed in gold, and the younger girl could see a two-horned circlet encircling her head beneath the fringe of hair. She glanced at one purple clad leg before turning to the long staff held in the woman purple-gloved hand. It was tall and ornate, and shaped like a large key, with a garnet colored jewel resting at its tip.

'This woman... there is something extraordinary about her. That weapon, her armor, they're all emanating some sort of power.' the raven haired woman thought to herself, feeling waves of unrecognizable power pulse around her. For one of the few times in her life, she was unsure of what to make about this woman. 'But… she did save my ass back there. I suppose it's common courtesy to thank her.'

"Thank you for your help. What exactly... was that thing?" she found herself asking. The taller woman turns around.

"It's a Dragon."

"Dragon!?"

The young woman looks horrified as the woman turns back to face her. Dragons were long extinct, the result of a long and tumultous war that occured even before the existence of this world. Most humans had little to no knowledge of these wars, let alone acknowledge the existence of a dragon.

"But it's strange. That village could've been easily destroyed without a dragon," the other woman said, pausing to think.

The younger girl's head snapped in her direction, concern and shock evident in her voice as she asked, "The village...? Are you talking about Seles!?"

The woman nods.

"Then those soldiers were...?"

"There won't be anything left by now."

The young woman shouts something incoherent to her and runs down the path. As she runs off, the woman watches as the garnet stone on her staff begins to glow a bright and deep violet. She stares at her weapon until the stone stops glowing, and waits as the tingles on her arm cease.

'That girl, who is she? Why is the Dragon Time Staff reacting so violently to her presence?'

Here is a description of the characters (for those who haven't played the game) and pairings.

Rei (22)/Usagi (18)

Rei takes the role of Dart Feld in the original game. Her personality is like that in the Sailor Moon series, although here she is a bit denser and less uh...sharp-tongued. She still retains her impulsive, suspicious, and fiery characteristic. And Usagi, well, is still Usagi. A bit less whiny, a little weaker, but still the same.

Makoto (25)/Ami (22)

Makoto takes over the role of Lavitz in the game. She's a loyal knight, and still very much the Makoto of the Sailor Moon series, trustworthy, loyal, and honorable. However, she receives some of Lavitz's comedic talents and brash way of talking. Ami is still sweet, shy little Ami, and still a genius. She is the imperial advisor of the king and is shown in a relationship with Makoto at the beginning.

I'll show more character details when we get to them. Yup.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2: Seles

The raven haired girl stands at the top of a large hill overlooking the burning town of Seles. Her purple eyes drink in the scene before her as she runs down the trail towards the village gates.

"Oh no! My god! Where is everybody?"

She flies down the hills in a cloud of dust, skidding to a halt and leaping over a wooden fence. Upon hearing one - no, two- voices arguing, she runs over to their direction.

"You didn't get enough killing!?"

"Hah! It may be enough if I kill you."

Two Sandorian soldiers are shown kicking at a fallen villager. The young woman reaches for her swords and rushes toward them, jumping in front of the villager as the two soldiers back away, surprised by this sudden attack.

"Oh, a mercenary? Isn't it a little late for you to show up?"

"You will pay, I will make sure of that. Now, tell me why you're here, and maybe I'll be merciful enough to give you a quick death," the young woman growls as she glares warily at the two soldiers. Treating her like a common pest, the soldiers shrugged and laughed.

"Can't you see? We're gonna occupy this area, and these worms were in our way."

"Occupy? Were you sent by the Imperial Army?"

"Even if we were, it's none of your business. You're gonna die soon anyway," mocks the second soldier, drawing his sword. His companion mimics the action, their eyes trained on the girl before them. They rush forward quickly, hoping for a quick kill. The young woman spins out of the way, delivering a hard kick to his side in the process. The first soldier collapses and holds his stomach; the second one aims his sword at dark haired girl, who saw it coming and deflects it with a flick of her wrist. The sword lands on the dirt a few meters away. The young woman quickly spears the soldier in the chest with the sword in her right hand and swiftly turns to the other soldier, burying her large dagger into his neck. She pulls both out and rushes over to the villager lying on the ground.

"Is it...are you...you're Rei aren't you?" he coughs out.

"Yes! It's me! Why is Seles under attack!?" the girl, now revealed to be Rei, asks.

"War...Imperial Sandora...attacked us..."

"What about the truce?"

"I don't know. All I know is, suddenly...troops stormed into the village, demanding for a...a girl."

"If only I had come back sooner..."

The man begins to cough as spasms wracked his body. Then his frame stiffened as he breathed out his final words.

"Usagi...they took...Usagi."

Usagi, no...She was a childhood friend, a sweet, clumsy girl with an affinity for sweets. He innocent smile brought a smile to everyone's faces.

'What could they want with Usagi?' Rei releases her hold and stands, head held low as she murmurs a short prayer, covering his eyes with her hand. She then walks further into the village and sees a figure facedown a short distance away.

"Umino!"

Rushing over to the man, Rei helps him sit up

"That voice...is that you, Rei?" The young woman heaves his arm onto her shoulder and helps him up.

"Yeah, I'm back," she affirms. 'A little late, but back nonetheless.' She checks his wounds, pouring a bit of silvery liquid on the wound.

"It's just a flesh wound, a little bit of Recovery Medicine and it'll be fine."

"I guess...I was lucky. But look at this village. If only you came back earlier...It's about Usagi, too."

"I heard, what's wrong with Usagi? Why did they take her?!" Rei's voice was filled with concern.

"It seems Usagi was their primary purpose." The raven haired woman's eyes widened. The Imperial Army of Sandora came to a remote little village and burned it to the ground because of an 18 year old girl?

"Do you know where they went?"

"I...I heard from the retreating soldiers that they would confine her at Hellena...for the time being," the thick glassed man replied, his eyes trained on the rubble that now covered the village.'So much destruction.' he thought.

"Usagi..." Rei's voice trailed off.

_Flashback_

_"Hey you little punk, don't you run!" the shopkeeper's voice ringing through the market as he chased after a small child, her arms were ladened with fruits stolen from his stall. The dark haired child ran through the crowds, the voice of the shopkeeper fading as he fell behind. 12 year old Rei kept running, her little legs carrying her over to a small alley, and the little girl ducked inside, slowing down as she reached a ratty looking shack. _

_"Hi Rei! Whatcha got there huh? Huh?" A blonde head popped out of the make-shift door and pulled it aside for the girl to walk in. The excited girl began to run around the little thief, asking questions and staring at the food._

_"Usagi! Calm down you little glutton," Rei scolded as she laid the food on a broken table, one of its legs propped up with wooden block._

_"Guys, food's here!" Rei yelled, and two other kids scrambled out from behind the shack, laughter in their voice as they race to the table._

_"Yeah, this is much better than yesterday," a teenage Umino yelled as he grabbed an apple and threw a meat stick to a little girl with frizzy brown hair. "Catch Naru!"_

_"Well, it does seem like Rei is getting better," the girl called Naru replied. Rei, satisfied with her day's work, reached for a roll of bread when she noticed one odd thing. Usagi had not even touched her food yet. Usually the girl would be all over the fruits, but today she sat in a corner, eyes watering and lips held in an adorable pout._

_"Usagi, why aren't you eating?" Rei asked as she walked over to the younger girl._

_"You called me a glutton...Rei is so mean!!" Usagi wailed, tears threatening to spill over her baby blue eyes. Rei rolled her own eyes, then leaned over in a secretive manner. She crooked a finger at Usagi and gestured for her to come closer before pulling out a small bag of candy._

_"Here, these are for you. I didn't get much, but well, I know you like these, and... uh...for Soa's sake stop cryin already - HEY!" Rei could only cry out in surprise as a completely recovered Usagi glomped her and thanked her for the sweets._

_"Looks like little Rei isn't so mean after all, neh Usagi?" laughed Naru, who had witnessed the whole exchange. Usagi nodded enthusiastically and dug into the food with the older boy. Rei and Naru just looked at each other and for a moment and shook their heads, a fond smile on both their faces._

_End Flashback_

"Rei you are going to go rescue Usagi, aren't you?" Umino asks, observing the glazed look on Rei's face. He knew that look.

"Yes," came the short reply. Umino sighed. Rei had always been a stubborn little pyro, and if you mess with her family, you sure as hell hope you have a big sword and a large army to back you up. He knew better than to argue with the girl he had known since his childhood days.

"I won't stop you, but be careful. You're going against Imperial Sandora."

"...I know. I'll be careful."

"You can count on us about Seles. There should be enough people who can still move."

"Thanks. When I settle everything, I'll be back. With Usagi."

Umino nodded and smiled. Suddenly two children rush at Rei, a boy attempting to tackle her.

"Go away!" the girl yelled.

"Be gone, Sandorians!" the smaller boy added.

"Stop it children! It's Rei!" Umino yells. The children look at their father and turn to stare at the raven haired woman.

"It's Rei!"

"Both of you have grown up," Rei smiles. She would have never imagined that Umino and Naru had gotten married, but here they were, with a boy, Kenjiro, and a girl, Risa, with Naru's brown hair and Umino's dorky smile.

"Rei! Sandora, Sandora got everybody!"

Risa hugs Rei and pulls back.

"Not everybody."

"What?"

"Not everyone was killed. So you have to help the people in the village. I will rescue Usagi."

"Indeed. Do what you can," Umino encouraged.

"I'll get medical herbs!" said Risa.

"Me too!" Kenjiro piped up. They both rush into their house, then each split up after getting the herbs to tend to the injured.

Umino turned his gaze toward the woman he had helped raise. "We can take care of the village. Focus on Usagi and yourself. Good luck, Rei."

He put a hand on her shoulder and stumbled off towards the town square where the injured were being tended to. Rei was also about to leave when hand touched her shoulder; she spun around to face her old mentor.

Kaioh Michiru had not changed a bit. Her hair was still a gorgeous sea aqua, and that aura of elegance still lingered about her. The dark blue rapier held in her hand was crusted with dirt and blood, matching the blue armored dress that covered her body.

"Michiru, it's good to see you."

"I taught you how to use the sword. I won't be killed so easily," she laughed, her voice soft and demure and her eyes twinkling with amusement. Rei looked down and noticed that she had drawn out her dagger on instinct. She grinned and sheathed her weapon before embracing her old swordsmistress, shaking hands enthusiastically and finally pulling apart.

"We were outnumbered. I couldn't stop them by myself," Michiru's eyes turned dark as she surveyed the desolate village. They are saddened as she talks.

"You already heard about Usagi?

"I have, and... I'm heading to Hellena."

"I expect nothing less, coming from you," Michiru smiles faintly. She knew of Rei Hino's willpower, but could one woman take on an army of soldiers by herself? Rei sensed that the woman has something to say, but interrupts before the aqua haired swordsmistress could voice it.

"I know what you're going to say, but I have to do this myself. The villagers need someone here if the Sandorians attack again," the violet eyed girl said softly. Her mentor opened her mouth as if to say something, but closed it after a second, realizing that her student was right.

"I will stay here until the villagers get better, but I must go on a journey afterwards. We most likely won't see each other again," Michiru says quietly, gazing over the burnt hillside towards the forest.

"Then this is a short farewell," Rei follows her gaze, feeling a wave of nostalgia wash over her heart. The former master and pupil turn towards each other and embrace briefly. Michiru nods and bows. Rei returns the gesture as the aqua haired woman runs to the village square. Rei watches her run until the woman's form disappears from sight. With a long sigh, she slings her bags across her back and heads toward the village entrance.

'Hold on Usagi, I'm bringing you home.'


	4. Chapter 4

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Sailor Moon nor do I own the Legend of Dragoon. Well, I own the game, just not the copyrights or any of that legal stuff. They belong to Naoko Takuechi and Sony, respectively.

I've always wanted to write a crossover fic with Sailor Moon and Legend of Dragoon. Somehow the main character in LoD reminds me of Rei, so yea...Anyway, this is a first fic for mefa, so constructive criticism would be nice. Flamers, gawd, I really don't care for, so don't flame me; I'll just delete them. Anyway, shoujoai warning, so no likey, no read-ey.

Any questions or whatnot you can email me at

Chapter 3 Prison Break

In a cell at the tallest tower of Hellena prison, the young girl taken from Seles is led to a cell and knocked down to the floor by a rude Hellena Warden's spear butt.

"Be good in there!"

He shuts the door as a rat scurries across the floor; the girl curls up and crys softly.

On a wooden, rickety bridge high in the tower of Hellena, where wooden rafters and platforms mix with pure cliff sides, a large monstrosity of a man named Souichi Tomoe, the Head Warden of Hellena Prison, is seen talking to the Cloaked Figure, his back turned towards the man, his gaze resting on the silent moon.

"Who in the world is the girl!? You can tell me," the massive man bellows.

"The world's future rests on her," is the vague reply.

"That's it!?" the head warden shouts angrily.

"This is enough information for you. Those of you who do not grasp the importance of a such a situation should just do what the order says."

Souichi makes a fist at the hooded being.

"I am not taking your orders! Only His Majesty, Diamond, can order me!"

'The fool...' the Cloaked Figure mutters in his head. He whips around, his green eyes calm and steely as he addresses the man before him.

"You must remember this. If you make a scratch on her, it'll cost more than your head. This is a direct message from Emperor Diamond."

Souichi knows he has lost this round with words, and lets out a scream of frustration.

"Argh!"

Turning from the cloaked one, Souichi stomps off, swinging his right arm wide and clipping a guard under the chin; the guard stumbles back, plummeting over the side of the railing to fall to his demise far below. The warden continues on, unfazed by this.

The cloaked one merely watches, pleased as the events before him unfold.

A red armored figure emerges from a dense forest, arriving at the rocky cliffs near the sea, where she spots the great fortress of Hellena, many towers and spires spawning from the immense stone prison. The figure swallowed a heavy sigh. 'That looks inviting.'

'Well, how can I sneak in?' Rei ponders. She hears a clatter behind her and jumps behind a large rock as an old merchant appears, dragging a large cart behind him. An idea spawns in her head as Rei leaps from behind the rock and secretly follows the merchant. They reach the large drawbridge to the prison. Rei rushes to hide behind the cart.

"...I see. Good meat and fish. Sir Souichi will be pleased," spoke the gatekeeper as he inspects the merchandise.

Curious, the merchant asks, "You bought a lot recently. Is there something going on?"

"It's not the business of a merchant like you."

"Oh, sorry, terribly sorry."

"I'll inspect the rest of the load."

Rei leaps out of the back end and hides on the side opposite to the gatekeeper as he checks the products in the back

"It seems to be okay."

He goes back to his position as Rei hops inside the cart.

"LOWER THE BRIDGE!" the gatekeeper yells, the guard at the top of a nodding as he started cranking a large lever.With a thunderous crash the iron grate bridge is lowered, and the cart passes into Hellena safely. They continue onward and stop at a large storage room. Rei waits until the merchant steps outside to speak to the other wardens before jumping out of the cart. She looks around, taking in the surroundings as she draws her dagger, sneaking out of the room. She reaches some stone stairs to the hallway and ascends the stairs. As the young woman reaches the top, a lone soldier in the room spies her and heads over, eying her red armor contemptously and drawing his sword.

"Intrud-"

The man collapses as a blood red dagger was buried in his throat. Rei walks over and retrieves her weapon, preparing to drag his body to a nearby area so that it would not look suspicious.

"Hey, what the-!" a group soldiers walk into the room to see a raven haired woman leaning over the form of their dead comrade. It seems like the noise had attracted some attention. They look at each other before charging at her.

'Shit,' was the final thought in the girl's mind before plunging into battle.

"Move quicker! You have such bad luck! You will regret not being killed on the battlefield!" a prison warden mocks as he continues to push two Knights of Basil into a hallway.

The one with short blonde hair yells, "What do you mean?"

"You really believe you can live comfortably in the jail? Head Warden, Souichi, will feed you to the monster!"

"Feed us to the monster? I won't let you humiliate us anymore! If you want to kill me, kill me now!" He lunges toward the warden, ready to make a break for it.

"I won't let him!" comes a loud voice.

Suddenly a dead Hellena warden is thrown around the corner and a tall, brown haired woman brandishing a spear in pale green clothes and armor appears, twirling her weapon in circles.

"Makoto!" the captive shouts, recognizing his captain.

"You little bitch! How the hell did you break out of your cell? Nevermind, it doesn't matter much. You can't escape from here alive!" With that said, the warden lunges at Makoto, a taser rod ready to strike.

"I'll take care of this! Survive and go back to Indels Castle alive! Tell his majesty that-"

Makoto spears the warden in the stomach as the knights escape, only to stop abruptly as new warden appears to block their path.

"I won't let you!"

Suddenly more guards arrive, throwing the two knights over the railing and into the deep abyss below.

Makoto fights the other guard off and launches herself at the new warden. Before she could reach the man, though, the sound of steel clanging together brought their eyes toward the rickety bridge nearby. A dark head appears, the figure wearing bright red armor and running towards them with a long red sword held in one hand and a matching dagger in the other.

"Dammit these guys don't give up do they?!" Rei grunts as she leaps across the small bridge, cutting the ropes holding it to the other side as she reaches the brown-haired knight.

"You, who are you? Are you a dog of Sandora too?"

They both slay two more guards and then clash weapons, unhindered by the group of soldiers trying to get across the bridge.

"Who are you!?"

"Why should I tell you?" Rei growls as the other woman's spear bears down on her crossed swords.

"BE-CAUSE, it seems as though... we are... on the same side here!" The two push against each other and the force causes them to jump back. Loud shouts draw them towards the bridge. The soldiers seem to have succeeded in creating a human chain to come across, and are charging towards them.

"Well, it seems we don't have time for introductions," the knight says grimly.The two fend off two more guards.

"No, we don't!" Rei replied, forcing her blade through the armor of a nearby soldier. They fight their way through the rush, still eying each other suspisciously. Bodies of dead soldiers litter the hallway as Rei and Makoto finally catch their breath. Makoto began to speak.

"My name is Makoto Kino. I am the head of the First Knighthood in the Kingdom of Basil," she breathed, staring straight into the eyes of the raven-haired woman before her. Rei stares right back, searching for deception in those dark emerald eyes, finding none. She finally speaks.

"Rei Hino. It does seem as though we are on the same side...for the time being."

"I cannot imagine there is anybody that intentionally comes to Hellena. What are you up to?"

Rei hesitates before answering, "I am here to rescue someone important to me. Have you heard anything about a young girl being brought here?"

"I am sorry, but..."

"I'll look elsewhere," Rei interrupts impatiently as she turns away, briefly scanning the area for enemies.

"I'll go with you." The violet eyed girl stopped, turning around.

"I thought you had to go back to the castle as soon as possible?"

"I don't know what brought you here to Hellena, but it's not that easy to go through alone. That goes for me too. But, if we work together, then maybe we can break out of here! Of course, with

the girl."

Rei ponders this for a moment. This Basilian knight made sense. It would be extremely hard to get out of this place, let alone protecting a young girl on the way. A long silence fills the room.

"How come you trust me? We've just met."

Makoto smiles slightly. 'I like this girl already.'

"The raid you made was quite impressive. You showed some skills with the sword back there, and it wouldn't have been hard to kill me, what with all the soldiers attacking us. But you didn't."

Rei contemplates the other woman's words. This woman could have killed her too, yet she didn't. Her words seemed to make sense, and those intense eyes held no lies. The dark haired girl came to a decision.

"Alright. Let's go together." The knight nodded, falling in step with Rei as they search the cells. The doors seem to be locked, and the two waste no time in searching the bodies of the dead wardens for the master key.

"Found it!" came a triumphant cry from Makoto. She held up a rusty key, handing it to Rei.

An hour later...

The two companions have already searched six cells, but Usagi seems to be in none of them. They enter the seventh one, but pause as they hear voices from inside.

"I didn't want to fight, why did I have to be sent to this hell? God, if I had only known, I wouldn't have offended them!" came a man's voice.

"The wardens were saying that the girl's confined in the second prison tower. Why are they making so much noise about one girl?"

The two warriors look at each other before rushing off to the second tower, killing off the soldier to enter a lift.

'Usagi, they had better not do anything to you or somebody's gonna get hurt,' Rei thought darkly as they enter the lift. She breaks out of her reverie and notices Makoto staring at her.

"What?" the dark haired woman asks indignantly.

"Nothing. This girl...she is important to you isn't she?" Makoto asks after a moment of silence.

"Well..its...well, none of your business!" Rei replies, turning her head to stare at the side of a large cliff. Makoto shrugs, unperturbed by the younger girl's tone.

"Guess it's not, just curious."

They continue to ride in silence and before long the elevator stop abruptly in front of a long, narrow hallway. They climb off and hide as a groups of soldiers clank towards them.

"The security is tight here," Rei whispers.

"Yes, this room seems extra tightly guarded. Doesn't it seem odd that there are so many guards for only one girl?" Makoto asks. 'This doesn't look so simple.'

"I intend to ask that directly to the head warden. But that's after we rescue Usagi," Rei says. 'We've got a score to settle, this Souichi and I.'

They wait until the coast is clear and head into a tower using the key and into the first cell. A rotting corpse greets them and the two step back, covering their faces from the putrid smell.

They leave the dark jail and hide again, spotting a heavily guarded cell around the corner. Rei peeks out from behind the dark corridor and looks back at Makoto. She points at herself, then the guard, and then makes a slicing motion across her neck while pointing at Makoto's spear. Makoto nods and waits as Rei walks out, sword drawn.

"You...you are from Basil?!" the guard yells as she spots the red armor. Rei slices at the female guard as Makoto leaps from behind her and silences the other guard with her spear.

"Who is it?" came a frightened voice from inside the cell.

"That voice...Usagi? Usagi, its me, its Rei!" Rei clambers over the bodies of the fallen guards and jams the key into the lock.

"Usagi..." Rei's voice was hoarse as she spots the young blonde. She had grown into such a beautiful girl.

"Is it really you, Rei?"

"Don't worry Usagi, its me. Who else would be crazy enough to come rescue you, odango?"

"Rei...its been three years since you've been gone...it felt like forever...Rei" Usagi cries, reaching for her friend.

"I know, I know. I'm here now, don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you," the violet-eyed woman whispers to the girl sobbing at her chest. Makoto's voice broke their little reunion.

"Hurry up, the guards are coming!"

Rei helps Usagi up and they walk out only to see guards surrounding the brown-haired knight.

"Get the girl! Don't let them out alive!"

Rei puts a protective arm in front of Usagi and draws out her dagger, twirling another curved red blade in her right hand. Makoto points her spear at one of the guards before leaping into the fray, immediately slicing open the belly of one of the guards. Rei deflects a taser rod from one of the soldiers with her dagger and swings her other sword at his throat, crimson blood shooting from the wound. As they fight the trio begin to slowly move towards the exit, running quickly as they reach the previous corridor.

"Usagi, are you hurt?" Rei asks as she glances over at her blonde companion.

"No, I'm fine."

"We can celebrate later; we are still deep within the belly of the enemy. We have to keep running or else we'll all be dead!" Makoto grunts as they rush to the lift.

"Yes, so let's go, Makoto. Usagi, stay close to me so you don't get hurt." Usagi stops abruptly and leans over on her knees to catch her breath before addressing her friend.

"Rei, I'm 18 years old now...I can fight too!" She grabs a bow and a quiver of arrows from a nearby weapon cache.

"Don't you remember? You were the one who taught me to use the bow before you left," Usagi yells.

"This isn't like when we were hunting little animals anymore. This is a life and death situation, so stop fooling around!" Rei retorts. However, Usagi stood her ground.

"I'm not fooling around," she says with dead seriousness in her eyes. Makoto looks over at her before looking at Rei.

"Look, I don't know what's going on, but its looks like the girl can defend herself, at least for the time being. Besides, you can't watch after her AND fight at the same time with the amount of people we're dealing with here," the knight reasons. Rei glares at the ground.

"I suppose you're right. Usagi...better make sure you have enough arrows there," Rei tells the blonde, turning her head around. Usagi nods brightly and the three step into the lift.

"Alright, now that that's settled, let's get the hell out of here," Makoto says.

"Say that again!?" the head warden inquires angrily, whipping around and glaring at the two underlings before him.

"Well, well, the Knight from Basil broke out of her cell. I am sorry!"

"I am not talking about that, rat! After that!"

"The girl from Seles was taken by the guy in the red armor," the soldier stuttered, frightened at the expression on his boss's face. Souichi starts to choke him as he holds him up

"The girl was taken by the guy with red armor!?" he bellowed. The soldier in his hands behind to struggle as he tries to breathe.

"Argh, useless bastard!"

Th underling was thrown off the edge of the wooden bridge they are on.

"You, don't let them out alive!... Wait, I almost forgot! Don't kill the girl; it's a direct order from his Majesty Diamond!"

"Aye, aye, sir!"

The remaining soldier runs away to help.

"If you fail, I will behead all of you! Get the guy in the red armor to me! I will dye everything else red with his blood!"

Souichi is standing between the three companions and the horse pen, preventing them from leaving.

"So, we finally meet. You are the red one huh? I was expecting a man. What a pretty little girl. Tell me child, what makes you think you can just waltz out of here with the girl?" the head warden sneers.

"Looks like I just did," Rei answers smugly. Souichi's face contorts into an expression of anger.

"No matter. You and the leader of the knights will not be spare. My pet will have a lovely meal once I mince you up!" he snarls.

"Makoto, is this the head warden?" Rei asks, her eyes never leaving the massive figure before her.

"Yes, his name is Souichi Tomoe. His cruelty is well known. Even the people of his own country are afraid of him."

"You have such a calm face...or are you paralyzed from fear?" Souichi adds, pointing a large finger at Rei.

"You attacked Seles, didn't you?" the dark haired woman questions angrily.

"No, I just gave them the order."

"Then why did you have Usagi taken away!?"

"I don't know, Emperor Diamond just said to bring that girl back. The order was so trivial I added the new one of annihilating Seles," was the reply, the warden staring at the raven haired girl with a bored look on his face.

"Souichi Tomoe...dammit, you'll pay for this!" Rei shouts as she launches herself at the warden. He parries her blow with a large mace, throwing her back with tremendous strength. Rei leaps back on her feet, warily eying the man. 'He's strong, real strong. I have to make this quick.'

"Hey, you didn't forget to leave some Souichi ass-kicking for me did you?" Makoto appears beside her, her spear ready. The two look at each other before once again charging at Souichi. He block Makoto's attack and throws her towards the ground, the knight skidding on her feet as she landed. Rei, using the distraction, darts around his feet, placing various charms around his body before moving away quickly. She then claps her hands together, muttering incantations.

"Fire Soul!" The charms began to explode, covering Souichi and the surrounding area in smoke. Makoto raised a hand to shield her face, and Rei scans the area. A brief silence occurs before a loud roar reaches her ears. The red-armored warrior dodges just in time before the massive mace connects with the ground where she was standing.

"You think those stupid little pieces of paper could kill me?!" the enraged Souichi yells. Makoto growls as she parries his attacks. Rei rushes up to him as she delivers a kick to his head. This only stops him for a moment, the large man turning his attention from the knight to the violet eyed warrior. Makoto spots a break in his shin guards during the distraction and spears him there. Letting out a roar of pain, Souichi swiftly turns around, reaching for the struggling knight only to find a silver arrow embedded into his arm, piercing his armguards. He spots Usagi in a few yards away, the bow still in her hands as she prepares to load another one. Rei looks over at Usagi for a short moment, and turns back to her enemy, delivering a strong sweep kick to his injured leg. She and Makoto, who had finally freed her spear from his meaty leg, back away quickly as a thunderous crash signals his fall. Thinking it was over, Rei turns to Usagi, whose eyes begin to widen as she looked past her armored friend. Rei and Makoto turn around to find Souichi struggling to get to his feet.

"Is he immortal!? Usagi, Makoto, we have to get out of here!" the red-armored fighter yells as she ran, pulling Makoto and Usagi towards the horse pen.

"Get on the horse, hurry!" Makoto urges.

"Bastard! Keep them from going even if it costs you your life!" the head warden shouts loudly.

"Raise the bridge, jail break!" a guard yells.

"Bring her back here, or you'll be dead too!" Souichi yells at the guard, who rushes away, stumbling as he runs to the front.

Souichi turns to see the figure with the cloak.

"When did you sneak in here!?" the large man asks.

"Should we tell this to his Majesty Diamond?" the intruder says coldly, ignoring the question.

"Wait! I'll bring back the girl!"

"Oh you will. Otherwise, you would be dead already."

Shouichi shoves another guard towards the exit.

"You go too, bastard!" He gives the Cloaked Figure a nasty look before limping away.

"Useless...hmph. It doesn't matter; everything is going just as I planned. Yes...they don't know they are in the palm of my hand." He watches the escape calmly from the top of the tower. The trio reach the drawbridge, Makoto jumping across just before it closes. They make a run for it towards the forest.

Well, nothing much to say here.

Oh, I changed/combined some of Rei's and Makoto's attacks with the ones in the game. Don't know why, I just did it. Anyway, Ami'll make a appearance real soon, probably in the next few chapters.

Yeah, that's about it.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 4 Tales from the Past

Rei, Usagi, and Makoto are running along a path on foot, the horses they were once riding forsaken for fear of being followed.

"Makoto, can you keep going?" Rei asks, concerned.

"Yeah, no problem!" came the enthusiastic reply.

The three continue onward, but as they pass a fallen log an arrow careens out of nowhere and grazes the knight's leg. They crouch behind the log quickly, knowing Hellena Wardens are in pursuit now, and that their archers have finally figured out how to use a bow and arrow accurately.

"Can you keep going?" Rei questions.

"Yeah, it's only a scratch."

"But you have to cover the wound," Usagi voices.

"It can be treated later. We gotta run first," Makoto grunts as she stands up.

"I'll help Makoto. Usagi, go first," the dark haired girl says as she takes Makoto's arm and swings it around her shoulder.

"Rei, don't treat me like a child. I will go with you guys. I can take care of myself."

"And no offense buddy, but I can walk by myself," Makoto grins as she pats Rei's armored back.

Usagi looks over the log and whispers, "Here they come!"

"Let's go!"

The three start running away once more as two wardens start running down the path after them.

A short distance down the path the trio hide behind a large tree with tall weeds and grasses all around it; the two Hellena Wardens approach the tree slowly, where the road splits into

several different directions. Suddenly a sound is heard in the grass.

"There they are!" the leader shouts. He points to the grasses as they all raise their taser rods.

"Come out and surrender! Then we might spare those people in Basil!"

A small rodent leaps out, hopping around in front of them.

"Is this the fugitive?" one of the soldiers ask.

"Are you trying to be funny? Go look over there you idiot!"

The two guards rush off down the right path. When they are out of sight the three companions all emerge from behind a tree. They head up the left path, where they see a raging river separating them from the other side.

"I guess we'll have to find another way," Rei says as she gazes at the water. 'Looks cold.'

They leave the scene and head down a southern trail, where they spot a small wooden shack. Makoto winces as she sits on a small stool inside the shack.

"Does it still hurt?" Usagi asks, looking over at the brown-haired woman's wound.

"A little bit," the other woman replies.

"I learned first aid, I thought it might be useful. Particularly in times like these," Usagi smiles as she reaches for Makoto's leg, inspecting it before tearing a piece of cloth from Rei's bag and covering the wound.

"Usagi? Learning? That's something new!" Rei chides jokingly. Usagi glares and sticks out a pink tongue at her friend.

"A certain someone might come back injured at any moment," the blonde rebukes as she carefully wrapped the knight's leg. Rei grins slightly, 'Just like old times.' Makoto smiles at the two's antics. 'They seem like good friends. These guys can't be bad.'

"Here you go," Usagi finishes and smiles cutely. Rei had gone outside to check for the enemies. She took this time to observe the tall woman. Long brown hair, definitely Basilian. She wore fine clothes and was covered in green armor that was sure to conceal a tone, muscular body. Her dark green eyes were friendly and they sparkled as she spoke.

"Thanks. It's much better now," the knight finds herself smiling back, calmed by the bright aura of the girl. 'She's cute, weird hair, but cute. How'd she end up with such a sourball?' Makoto thought to herself. Suddenly Rei reappears. 'Speak of the devil.'

"It seems we completely lost those fools from Hellena."

Silence enveloped the small shack as the trio were each drawn into their own dark thoughts.

"Rei," Usagi's voice broke the warriors out of their reverie. "Tell me about these three years," Usagi asks, her question seemingly stemming from out of nowhere. Catching Rei's darkening expression, she abruptly changes her mind.

"It's okay, nevermind! We don't have time for this now."

"It's okay Usagi. It's just... a long story." The violet eyed woman sighed and leaned heavily on the flimsy walls of the small shed, the shelter shaking lightly with her weight. Her dark eyes were closed, as if to conceal some morbid pain.

"It was a journey for revenge. It was a journey to find a guy that deprived me of something precious, and kill him. I couldn't tell you, Usagi. That's why I left by myself."

"The Black Monster?"

When Rei looks at her in shock, she adds, "I only know the name. Nobody would tell me more about it because they said I was still too young."

"What is the Black Monster? What are you talking about?" Makoto speaks up, her curiosity piqued. Rei continues.

"I have two homes. One is Seles, where I spend time with Usagi. And the other is where I spent time with my parents, my first home which was taken from me by the monster eighteen years ago. Neet."

_Flashback_

_REI'S HOMETOWN - 18 YEARS AGO_

"It was when I was five years old. Neet was assaulted by the

Black Monster."

_A dark and shadowy figure grasps a citizen of Neet and incinerates him in its clawed hand._ _A mother and father ushers a young Rei away from the burning village; they are atop a hill in the nearby forest overlooking the flames._

"We were lucky. Only three of us could get out from the village. But my father returned."

_The father hugs the mother, bidding farewell to the young Rei before leaving down the hill, re-entering the flames._

"My mother followed my father into the village to help everybody, but that's where the Black Monster was waiting."

_Her mother hugs Rei before rushing down after her father._

"I was left alone, shivering and waiting for dawn."

_Neet's fires were put out by a sudden rain, and Rei walks around the ash and rubble, all that was left of the village_

"The sun revealed a foreign landscape. It was a transformed Neet."

_The young Rei picks up a shining object from the ground._

"And I found this." Rei holds out a red stone that glimmered on a gold chain around her neck.

"What I found on the ground was only this. It's a memento, the only thing my father carried around all the time."

"Rei, I'm sorry," Usagi whispered, tears spilling over her eyes.

"Oh Usagi, don't cry. I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

"I knew you would tell me someday...b-but, it must be painful for you. I'm sorry, Rei," the blonde hair girl sobs. Rei walks over and Usagi wraps her arms around the raven haired girl's waist, her head leaning onto the armored stomach as she cried. Rei strokes her soft hair, finding comfort in their closeness.

"So you just came back from a journey to bring closure to the past," Makoto interrupts, eyes still fixed on Rei's darkened form.

"I'm still not there yet," Rei replied softly, her gaze turned to rest on the green armored woman.

"You said Neet. It doesn't seem to be a village in this country."

"It was located farther north from here. I guess nobody even remembers its name anymore."

Rei pauses, looking out through the open doorway intensely.

"Makoto, tell me, what is going on in this country?"

"Currently, our Kingdom of Basil is at war with the Imperial Sandora. Before, the entire kingdom was ruled by Emperor Endymion. When he passed away unexpectedly, he left the throne to his brother, Duke Artemis of Cornell."

"Why his brother?" Usagi wonders.

"Let's just say his son Diamond wasn't such a nice guy, and his father knew that. Artemis was older, had more experience, and was a greatly loved man. Not surprisingly, Diamond was outraged when he found out, and rallied a group of nobles in a coup'de tat. It failed, but the rebels retreated to northern Serdio and formed Imperial Sandora, gaining support from various alliances with several nomadic tribes and few allies across the Fourtos Ocean. Since then, the war has spread all over Serdio."

"I heard a truce was signed two years ago. Why was it broken?" the dark haired woman asks.

"Because of the Dragon, the legendary monster added weight to Sandora and broke the balance of power. Then Emperor Diamond became more aggressive."

"Dragon?" Rei's eyes widen. The knight looks at Rei intently.

"Do you know something about it?"

"Actually, I was swooped down on by a dragon before I entered Seles. It was overwhelming. There was no way to escape from it. I was saved by a passing warrior. That's the only reason I'm still alive."

Makoto crosses her arms.

"The Dragon is advancing faster than I thought. We must do something or it'll be too late...I have to go back to Indels Castle in Bale. There are so many things I have to report to King Artemis."

She turns to Rei and Usagi, seemingly studying the pair for a moment.

"You know what, Rei? You guys should come along with me. Minister Mizuno might know something about the Black Monster."

Rei's eyes widened. 'I hadn't even though about that.'

"How?"

"The royal library has records dating centuries back. I'm sure there will be information on this creature you're looking for."

Rei contemplates the thought for a moment. 'This could be useful. Makoto seems to be trustworthy, otherwise I probably wouldn't be here right now. And Usagi...Usagi needs some stability in her life.' She nods, accepting the offer.

"Then it's a done deal."

"Makoto, don't take chances now. You are not completely well," Usagi spoke up, the young girl recovering from her recent sobfest.

"You'll make a good wife one day, you know that?" the knight grins as she teases the cute blonde, pushing herself off the makeshift chair they had used and headed towards the door.

"Thanks," replied the girl as she blushes heavily.

"Please, don't encourage her. C'mon, let's go," Rei says, ignoring the glare directed towards her from the blonde and a short chuckle from the knight. They exit the shack and walk down the path. Rei notices a worn axe buried in the stump of a tree outside. An idea suddenly pops up. She pulls the axe from the stump. The other two glance back at her.

"We can use this to chop down that tree near the river and then cross the stream." They understood and nodded. The three companions walk back towards the stream that they encountered before. Rei hands the axe to Makoto and the tall woman swings it with all her might. It took several long chops to finally fall, but when it did, the tree aligned itself perfectly to form a bridge across the waters. Rei tosses the axe in to the rapids and takes Usagi's and Makoto's hand, forming a link in case one of them should fall in, and begin to cross the river.

After a day of walking and resting, Rei, Makoto, and Usagi reach a large cave.

"This is the Limestone Caves. Be careful, the walls are slippery and there are wild monsters roaming around. We don't want anymore trouble," Makoto warns as they step into the darkness. Rei lights a torch and holds onto Usagi's hand, the younger girl blushing as she grasps the raven haired girl's arm. They walk cautiously until they reach a long brook.

"Hey look!" Usagi points out. There were small boulders rising from the water, dotting a path across to the other side. They observe it for a second; the boulders seem to be the only way across.

"Think we can do this?" Makoto looks over at Rei, who nods in confirmation. She leaps onto a large rock, then from there jumps onto the next one, stopping and waiting for Usagi to come across.

"Be careful! These things are slippery as hell," warns Rei, pointing at the stones with her torch. The blonde haired girl nods and takes a tentative jump onto the rock that Rei was previously on. The raven haired girl then turns and continues, ushering for her two companions to follow. They leap nimbly from boulder to boulder. Rei and Usagi reached the shore on the other end first and stood, waiting for Makoto. The brown-haired knight lands on the last rock, her arms flailing to keep her balance as she steps on a particularly slippery patch of moss. A gloved hand reaches out to steady the knight and pull her to safety.

"Thanks, that's the second time you saved my life already," the taller woman said as she reaches the ground. Rei nods and grins, finding Makoto's smile infectious.

"Hey Rei!" Usagi's interrupts them. She had walked further ahead only to discover a group of flying, glowing insects. "Look! Aren't they gorgeous?"

"What are they?" she asks, reaching out to touch one. Rei walks closer to inspect them as well, looking around the small cavern. Makoto gasps, he eyes wide with reverence.

"They're rock fireflies. It's often said that rock fireflies appear to those in grave danger to aid them," Makoto says. She touches the swarm and feels a white light wash over her. As the white glow fades, the knight finds herself feeling completely refreshed.

"They have healing powers..." Rei gasps as she feels the light envelop her and Usagi.

"Wow," Usagi whispers. The glow fades and the two step back, feeling their tiredness disappear. Makoto reached down towards her injured leg and pulled the makeshift bandage away, finding her wound healed, a fresh scar the only reminder of her close call.

"These guys sure some in handy," Rei speaks after a moment. 'Wonder if we can bring some with us.' Makoto looks over at her and shakes her head.

"I know what you're thinking, hell, I thought it once too, but these things won't survive for a second if they're captured. They're extremely rare," the green-armored knight. "It is rumored that these are the souls of those who once lived, and they need to complete their good deeds to be accepted to Soa's gates. I amazed we even found rock fireflies."

Rei nods, clapping her hands together and murmuring a short prayer. She then reaches over and pokes a still mezmerized Usagi in the gut, the girl yelping in surprise as she glares at her attacker. Rei rolls her eyes and continues walking ahead.

"REI, DON'T BE SO MEAN!!" the blonde wails as she catches up to her friend. Makoto follows at a steadier pace, chuckling slightly at their random quips. The trio continue walking, but Rei stops abruptly, Usagi almost slamming into her as she too stops.

"REI!!" Usagi whined, abruptly stopping as she noticed the other girl's intense gaze. "What's wrong?" Usagi asks, concerned. Rei surveys the area, turning to Makoto.

"You hear it?"

"Oh yea," Makoto replied, pulling out her spear. Rei does the same with her swords, and Usagi instinctively slung the bow from her shoulder, hands reaching for an arrow from the quiver on her back. A minute passes in silence, and then the large rock wall next to them suddenly explodes. Rei, sensing the danger, jumped out of the way, pulling Usagi with her as Makoto did the same. They stare in horror as a large, monstrous snake appears from behind the rubble, its green eyes glowing with contempt.

"These things always happen around you?" Makoto smirks, circling the snake.

"Seems like it, think you can stick around long enough to find out?" Rei chides back.

"Yeah, suppose so," Makoto says as she rushes in.

"THUNDER ROD!" the knight bellows as electricity crackles around her rod. She swings the spear down, slightly charring the monster's scales. Rei was on the other side, slashing away to no avail at its thick armored body.

"VOLCANO SLASH!" Rei's attacks only angered the snake even more.

"The scales are too tough, we can't get through it," Rei grits through her teeth. She jumped back, surveying the large snake warily.

'The head...there's no scales covering the head!'

"Go for the head!" Rei yells, Makoto already aiming her spear at the thing's swaying head. She threw the spear with all her might. It barely missed the snake and embedded itself in the rock behind it. 'Shit.'

Usagi, who had continued to fire arrows from the back, aimed three arrows at the head. The monster, seeing the oncoming attack, whips Rei aside with its tail as it heads toward the blonde. Rei could feel her ribs almost cracking with the blunt force and collapses to the ground, coughing.

"Usagi, watch out!" the dark haired girl struggles to get up and help her friend, throwing her dagger at the snake's back. It embeds itself on the back of the thing's head, causing the snake to hiss in pain and collapse, flailing its body on the ground. Usagi, sensing the monster was down for the count, at least for now, cautiously ran around the writhing body and hurried over to Rei and Makoto.

"Are you guys okay?" she asks, reaching for the medicinal herbs in her friend's bag. Makoto's relieved expression turns to horror as she sees a massive shadow behind the blonde girl. Usagi, following the knight's gaze, turned around to see the snake advancing on the trio.

Usagi's eyes widen in fear. Suddenly, a strange feeling grips her heart. Rei and Makoto watch as a strong, silvery light emits from her body, covering the monster. It begins to roar in pain as the light completely covers it, finally coughing up venomous green blood and collapsing on the ground.

"Usagi, USAGI!" Rei cries as the blonde haired girl collapses, clutching her head. Makoto and Rei struggle to get to their friend. The violet eyed girl tries to calm her friend as the girl clutches her head in pain.

"It's ok...shh, its ok now..." Rei whispers soothingly, stroking the blonde head.

"I-I don't know what happened Rei. It just, it just..." Usagi cried burying her head into Rei's shoulder.

"It's ok, don't worry about it. We can deal with this later," Rei comforts, looking over at Makoto, who had retrieved her spear and was looking at Rei. 'How is she?' she questioned with her eyes. The dark haired girl shrugs slightly and inclines her head towards Usagi, who was still sobbing slightly. Makoto nods in understanding.

"Lets get to Bale first. There might be more of these things, and even Usagi won't be able to save us then," the brown haired woman says as she helps the two up. Rei swings Usagi onto her back and follows Makoto to the entrance. A question plagues both their minds as they walk on in silence, the only sound audible being the blonde's sound breathing as she fell asleep on Rei's shoulder.

'What the hell was that?'

Okay, here's the whole geographical analysis of the story. I'm basically using the Legend of Dragoon's world map. Here's a link if you want the image:

upload./wikipedia/en/8/80/ContinentofEndiness.jpg

Anyway, the whole story takes place on the continent of Endiness. It includes four major countries: Serdio, Mille Seseau, Tiberoa, and Gloriano. There is also a large, desert-like region in the game called the Negaverse Plane, but we'll get to that later. Serdio is currently split into the Kingdom of Basil and Imperial Sandora because of the war. Basil is now ruled under Makoto's king, who will be revealed later, and Imperial Sandora is united under Emperor Diamond (The Black Moon's Prince Diamond in the original Sailor Moon series).


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 5 The Basilian Capital

After a few days of traveling, Rei, Makoto, and Usagi finally reached Bale, the heart of Basil. They enter the ornate gates of the city, Makoto greeting various soldiers along the way. The city was beautiful, and bustling with life. Vendors and shopkeepers displayed their wares in an open market; the doors of various weapon shops and item stores swung wide open as satisfied customers walk in and out, chatting animatedly to one another.

"Captain Kino!" a knight claps a fist to his chest in greeting. Makoto returns the gesture and smiles as she guides her friends onwards. Rei and Usagi walk through the crowds, sensing the suspicious gaze of the people.'What the hell is wrong with them,' Rei thought angrily. She feels a breath next to her ear.

"It's not their fault, Rei. We're in the middle of a war, they have a right to be suspicious, especially of strangers." Usagi had woken up and notices the expression on her carrier's face. Rei mumbles something incoherent and continues trailing Makoto. The blonde just giggles and rests her head on Rei's shoulder, not missing the crimson blush that has spread over Rei's grumpy face. A warm feeling worms its way into her heart as she snuggles closer to her friend. 'Just like old times.'

_FLASHBACK_

_A 14 year old Rei and 10 year old Usagi ran through a grassy forest._

_"Wait!" Rei yelled out._

_"This way! This way!" Usagi cried as she turned back, waving for Rei to hurry up. _

_"Umph!" the blonde haired girl unexpectedly tripped over a large log. Rei ran faster to check on her friend. She grinned as she reached the girl._

_"Haha, always the clumsy one, odango," Rei joked as she sat next to Usagi._

_"Hmph, Rei is so mean," Usagi bawled as the dark haired girl inspected her foot. There was an ugly bruise on the side of her ankle. _

_"Looks like nothing's broken, just a slight twist."_

_"Owwie, it still hurts," Usagi whimpered as she tried to stand up. Rei sighs and turns her back, crouching low._

_"What are you doing?"_

_"What does it look like, odango-atama? I'm going to have to give you a lift back to the village," Rei says, exasperated. Usagi smiles and climbs onto her back, not missing the good-natured grin Rei was trying to cover up._

_END FLASHBACK_

"This, my friends, is Indels Castle," Makoto says as they reach a large, towering structure at the heart of the city. The castle was magnificent, tall towers spiraling towards the sky, green Basilian banners and flags covering the structure. A long stairway stretches into the entrance of the castle, its equally long red carpet welcoming to the guests.

'Great, more stairs,' Rei thought as she grudgingly climbs the walkway. 'And to top it off, I'm still carrying Usagi.' Makoto was used to the long ascent and waited at the top for her companions. They reach the top, where Usagi got off her friend's back and gazes at the structure in amazement. The two guards at the top greet the knight as she ushers the two awe-struck friends in. They observe the delicate carvings on the wall, depicting famous battles and, surprisingly, the simple lifestyles of the people.

"These carvings were done long before King Artemis," Makoto points to the battle scenes. "The others were added after his reign. His Majesty believes it is the hard work of the people that truly shapes this kingdom."

"A king who rules for the people. I thought they were extinct," Rei remarks. Usagi continues to stare in wonder at the beautifully decorated hallways. They are interrupted as a small man in a page outfit runs up to Makoto.

"Captain Kino, His Majesty heard that you were back and requests your presence in the conference room," he breathes. Makoto nodded and gestured to her two companions.

"Tell him that I will have two important guests with me," Makoto commands, and the page nods, running off once again to the conference room.

"His Majesty is a bit uptight, but he is a greatly loved ruler. I'm sure you will find him hospitable," the brown-haired woman says as she leads them to the conference room in the lower corridors. As they enter, they are greeted by the sight of a blue haired woman standing next to the throne, wearing scholarly robes and a large book held in one hand. She was talking to a white-haired man sitting on the golden, eagle-shaped throne in the middle of the room.

'So this is the great King Artemis of Basil,' Rei thinks, observing the two men. 'Then the other one must be Minister whatever. Odd, a female advisor...'

Her train of thought is interrupted by Makoto, who clasps a fist to her chest and kneels, ushering with her eyes for Rei and Usagi to do the same. They comply, Rei more grudgingly so.

"Your Majesty!"

The king breaks from his talk with the woman on his right and prompts them to get up, waving a hand dismissively.

"Now, no need for formalities. You know I hate those things among friends," King Artemis says as they rise to their feet. "Makoto, what happened? We sent guards to invade Hellena after you were found captured but then news broke out that you escaped..."

"Yes, sir," the knight replies. "My two companions and I broke through the barriers and headed back here. This is Rei Hino, a warrior from Seles, and Usagi...?" Makoto looks to the blonde.

"Tsukino, sir," Usagi speaks up.

"Also from Seles," Makoto continues.

"Seles, the town that they ravaged a few weeks back?" the king queries. Rei's expression turns dark as she nods.

"I see. We have sent supplies and guards to the village about a week ago, they should be there by now. Every citizen of the Kingdom of Basil is my responsibility." Rei raises her head and looks at the king. 'Seems like he's not such a bad guy after all.'

"Thank you, your Majesty," Usagi voices, relieved. Rei bows her head, thanking the man.

"I've heard that they razed the village in pursuit of a girl," King Artemis says evenly, looking at Usagi. Rei raises her head defensively, stepping in front of the girl. The king observes the woman in front of him. 'Protective, indeed. A fine quality.' The aura around the girl blazes a fiery red, amazing the man, and her dark violet eyes bore through his.

"Now, no need to be defensive. It was merely a statement. We don't know what they want, but as long Sandora is after her, we will keep her safe. After all, you did save the life of my most trusted knight."

Rei takes a half-step back, controlling her aura, still unsure of the situation.

"Don't worry, young one, you are now under the protection of Basil. Like I said, we don't know what they want with the girl, and I can see that she is still merely a girl. We mean no harm, are we not all on the same boat here?" the monarch reasons. "You don't have to trust me, but the king of Basil is indebted to you nonetheless," the white-haired man reassures.

Rei, surprised by the honesty in the man's voice, looks over ar Usagi before bowing her head. "Thank you."

"Don't worry, this one's not really trusting at first. She'll grow on you real quick. I mean, not like you can stop her, but yea," Makoto interrupts, ignoring the glare sent her way from the raven haired woman. Minister Mizuno claps a hand over her mouth, trying to cover a giggle while Usagi lets out an adorable laugh. The king smiles slightly.

"There is still a question that has been troubling me," Rei speaks, ignoring the jibe. The others turn to her, their interest peaked. "I would like some information about the Black Monster. It...destroyed a village called Neet in Mille Seseau eighteen years ago."

King Artemis nods toward the woman on his right. She sent for a servant to the royal libraries. He returned a few minutes later with a large book barely fitting in his hands before setting it down on the large podium net to the throne.

"Ami." The blue haired woman opens the large book, flipping through the pages violently before stopping. Her fingers scan the contents of the page diligently.

"The Black Monster...Neet...here we are...It seems as though the Black Monster has no longer been sighted since the attack on that village. The records have little to no information about it. Hmm, it says here that the Black Monster is a 'devil who devours a god."

"A devil who devours a god!," Makoto exclaims. "What does that mean?" There was a pregnant silence in the room, its occupants trying to absorb the information given to them.

"Surprisingly, it shows up in history beginning 11,000 years ago."

"11,000 years ago is the time the Dragon Campaign ended."

"You're exactly right, Your Majesty. Instead, I will tell you the story of the Dragon Campaign. As if they were gods, Winglies ruled over all living creatures, and used them as slaves. The enslaved suffered a terrible domination and injustice. Their anger turned to a flame of fury; then, a gust of wind blew throughout the lands, spreading the flame to a blazing fire. The wind was Emperor Diaz. Seven incarnations of Dragons served the emperor. Their bravery inspired people to take up arms. Thus began the Dragon Campaign. It was a harsh war. Both people and Winglies suffered countless injuries and fatalities. After a long period of suffering, it was the humans who aquired the future. The age of humans had begun."

"The future?!" Usagi gasps.

"A power that is shrouded in secrets."

"Can it mean...the Black Monster...it was looking for this power?" Makoto says. 'A mysterious power...'

'So, it was searching for this...future,' Rei muses. "How do I find it?"

The minister continues flipping through the pages. "I don't know, there is no information on the whereabouts of the beast nor any details about how to find it."

Rei lowers her eyes, angered. 'So, all this for naught.' She feels a hand on her arm.

"Rei, its ok, we'll find it somehow. Please, don't be sad," Usagi pleads. Rei looks at her, gazing into pools of baby blue...Those eyes, they always seem to calm her down...somehow...Usagi...

"Eh-hem..." came the awkward cough from Minister Mizuno. The two break their gaze and flush, turning their attention back to the white-haired monarch. Rei feels comforted by Usagi's hand, which is still resting on her arm.

"You all must be tired," King Artemis said, breaking the awkward moment. He gestures to the page. "Take them to the guest wings to rest. Makoto, we have much to discuss."

The page nods and bows, leading the two to out the door. Rei looks over at Makoto, who gives a reassured nod of her head before turning her head back to the king.

"Makoto, there is rumor that Hoax will be..." Artemis's voice trails off as the door closes. 'I'll ask Makoto about it later,' Rei reasons, tiredness washing over her body. The violet-eyed woman and her friend are led to the guest wings. Usagi heads off to her assigned room while Rei enters her own. A large bed sits in the middle of the room, and a large lamp stands next to it on top of a small table. A door to the right leads to what looks like a bathroom, where Rei immediately heads to, peeling off her red armor and hanging her swords on the towel rack. After a quick shower, she pulls on a pair of dark trousers and a long night shirt before throwing herself onto the bed, and is about to fall asleep when a knock is heard on her door.

"Rei? Are you awake?" Usagi peeks her head in and looks around for her friend.

"Yup," comes the muffled reply, a dark head buried face down into a pillow. The girl being addressed looks up.

"You know, odango, you're supposed to wait until someone says you can come in to actually come in," she says, sarcasm lacing her tone.

"Reiiiiiii, stop calling me that," the blonde whines before sitting down on the bed. "I was just...a little...scared," she murmured. Rei's eyes soften.

"That thing that happened back there in the caves, that light...I don't know what it is. I don't know what happened...I'm just scared. I don't want it to happen again." The blonde shuts her eyes, trying to wipe the memory from her mind. That monster was about to hurt Rei, and something had snapped inside. It had hurt so much, her head felt like it was going to explode. Suddenly she feels arms encircle her as Rei pulls her into a warm hug..

"Its ok. You didn't want us to get hurt, that's all. Don't worry. Whatever happens, I'll always be here for you. Always remember that," the dark haired girl whispers, stroking the blonde's hair. 'This is becoming a habit,' she thinks amusingly, chuckling to herself.

"What's so funny?" Usagi asks, curious.

"Nothing, little one, just get some sleep. You can stay in here tonight," Rei says, leaning over and unexpectedly kissing the petite blonde on her forehead before falling on the bed, intent on going to sleep. Usagi blushes fiercely, looking at her friend before laying down next to her, a sad smile on her face.

'When are you going to stop treating me like a little sister Rei...when are you going to realize there's more than that...'

KNOCK KNOCK

Usagi woke up to a loud thumping on the door. She looks around, 'Where's Rei?' feeling the empty sheets next to her. The door suddenly opens and the warrior walks in, her arms carrying a tray with milk, bread, cheese, and roasted meat. She is quickly followed by Makoto and the blue haired woman Usagi recognizes as Minister Mizuno.

"Here, Usagi, dig in," Rei says as she sets the tray down on the small table next to the bed. 'Wow, I never realized how hungry I was,' Usagi notes as she attacks the food with fervor.

"Hfarnt fyu fuys gogna haf ny?" Usagi says through a mouthful of food. The others look on incredulously.

"No, we're already ate," the raven haired woman replies, oblivious to the amazed stares of the other two in the room, who briefly shake their heads. 'Not even worth asking,' they thought.

The blonde shrugs and continues to eat. As she finishes, Usagi catches some information from Rei and Makoto's conversation.

"...that Hoax is being attacked tomorrow night. The Sandorians are sending elite forces. The king has asked me to help the Eight Knighthood defend the fortress, so...I'll be leaving in a few hours," Makoto explained quietly.

"And Minister Mizuno...?" Rei queried, looking over at the imperial advisor.

"Please, Ami is just fine...I'll be going too," she blushes, reaching over to grasp Makoto's hand, the knight smiling at her fondly. Rei looks at their hands and blushes, realizing that the two were...closer than she thought.

"We're going too!" Usagi quips, having finished her food at an alarming rate, and moves next to Rei, her eyes bearing into Makoto's forest green ones.

"Usagi, this is extremely dangerous. We can't-" Makoto replies, shocked, but is interrupted by the red-armored woman.

"No, she's right. We have to go. This is war, and it's going to affect everyone who lives in this kingdom. It is our duty as citizens of Basil to defend it," Rei argues, looking meaningfully at Usagi. The blonde nodded and smiled at her friends.

"That's right. You're not going anywhere without us."

Makoto looks at Ami, who smiles gently.

"It would be nice to have traveling companions. From what I've heard, you are quite the swordsmaster," Ami spoke up. Rei blushes at the comment. Usagi smiled, liking this woman already. She was sweet and humble, with none of the snobbishness associated with nobility despite her position.

"Well, I guess it's decided," Makoto finalizes, scratching her head. "We'll go inform the king. You guys had better pack up and uh...don't take too long." With a wink the knight leads her apparent girlfriend out of the room, leaving a stunned Rei and a fiercely blushing Usagi to ponder her meaning.

"...Right," Rei muttered before turning to Usagi, who had already begun packing. 'Guess I'd better start too," the woman sighs.

"All ready?" Makoto asks as the four stepped outside the castle. She was dressed in her green clothes, the dirtied armor from before replaced with new silver armor trimmed in green. Her hair was tied in a traditional ponytail and dark green running boots rested on her feet. The long, green spear in her hand glowed with an unearthly power as the thunderbolt design on it gleamed under the light of the sun. Ami was dressed in light hunting garb, leather armor covering her upper body over a blue shirt and tight blue trousers binding her legs, which were covered with shin guards. A large belt trailed over her chest before encircling her waist, multitudes of small knives and ninja stars attached to it. A small pouch was attached to the side of the belt, and small dagger could be seen attached to the hunting boots on her right leg. Rei eyed the blue haired woman curiously.

"She can throw knives so well it's scary. You'll never see it coming," Makoto grinned proudly. Rei's eyes widen as they trail over to Ami, who flushed slightly.

"I used to be part of the knighthood, but I find that using words is better than shedding blood," Ami explains, pocketing small herbs and vials into her pouch.

'Unexpected, but understandable' Rei thinks. She herself was garbed in her red armor, the newly scrubbed metal reflecting the shadow of the Moon that Never Sets. Her two swords were where they belonged, at her waist, and, surprising, the worn leather bag usually slung across her shoulder was absent. "It'll get in the way," Rei had said when Usagi asked. She was glad at least Ami had brought along her pouches and herbs. Tucked into the same hunting boots as Ami's were her black fighting trousers, covered with red shin guards that tightly hugged her frame. Rei looked over at Usagi, the blond wearing scouting leathers similar to Ami's, although they were white (courtesy of the rangers in the castle), and carried a fresh quiver of arrows over her shoulder, a long ivory bow held in both hands. The four walked steadily down the stairs away from the castle and headed for the town of Hoax.


End file.
